


Hidden in Plain Sight

by reigenonice (TardisType221b)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, In A Heartbeat AU, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 02:09:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11911023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisType221b/pseuds/reigenonice
Summary: In a Heartbeat AUPrince Noctis is disillusioned with love, being surrounded by hearts of those who don't truly know him. He's tired of it all, and wish they would just get the hint, he's not interested.The one person who he does cares for however, is the only one that gets the message.





	Hidden in Plain Sight

**Author's Note:**

> A fill for [This Prompt](http://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/4113.html?thread=6069265#cmt6069265) at the FFXV Kinkmeme

Noctis knew that he was supposed to be vigilant. But he also had to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn to go to school and even with Ignis's nagging sometimes he forgot things. 

Today, that happened to be putting on the repellent patch. 

On the first day of school. 

He should've stayed home. 

Almost down to the second that he entered school grounds he was surrounded, by both adoring teens, and hearts. 

Ugh, the number of them had grown, there were seven of them now instead of the five he remembered from the last time he had forgotten the repellent patch. 

Unfortunately, there was no repellent patch for _people_. Somehow, Noctis managed to shrug them all off, and went through the daily slog of classes, nothing special considering it was the first day of school. 

When lunchtime rolled around, that's when something different finally occurred. 

"Hey, Prince Noctis!" He heard someone call out, a hand slapped his back and when he turned to look there was a skinny blonde boy with a light dusting of freckles. 

"I'm Prompto! Nice to meet you!" He introduced himself. 

Noctis's eyes narrowed. "You look familiar...are you sure we haven't met before?" Noctis asked. Those freckles definitely looked familiar. 

"Don't think so, your Highness." Prompto looked a little nervous. Oh wait! This was that boy from elementary school! The one who tried to talk to him behind the school! Why was he acting like they had never met before? Regardless, Prompto was...a breath of fresh air, someone different and new in this endless drag of life. 

Maybe if he actually talked to someone Ignis and his dad would get off his back about actually 'making friends' and 'having social interaction'. 

But first, he had to stop with the whole Prince thing. 

"Just Noctis, please. I don't really like the formal stuff." 

"Sure thing, Noct." 

He had to smile at that...maybe this was a good idea after all. 

~*~ 

Prompto was a nice distraction from all the hearts floating around him, from the other kids staring, from _everything_ really. It was so nice to have someone finally treat him like a normal person. Even Ignis and Gladio his closest friends, well not exactly _friends_ since they were his advisor and shield respectively, didn't fully treat him like a normal person. 

He wondered how long this would last. 

"So, hey um, I wanted to ask, and you can tell me to stop if I'm prying but um, why don't you wear the patch?" Prompto asked him while they were eating lunch together on the roof. 

It had been about a month since school started and him and Prompto were inseparable, they shared almost every class together and a lunch period, which Noctis had taken full advantage of, to seclude them from the other kids. He could not _stand_ the fawning, and the way they pushed Prompto to the side. They were sitting on the roof, only faint sounds of the bustling streets of Insomnia reaching them. The sun shone brightly, but thankfully it wasn't overbearing. They were alone, and it was peaceful. 

"It's no big deal, you're not prying, and well I _did_ wear it." Noctis replied. "But, I forgot the morning of the first day of school, and then I've just been going with it." Just thought of adding an extra step into his routine and sacrificing those thirty extra seconds of sleep, made him full of dread. 

"Also, the patch is _itchy_ , nobody ever tells you that! But it is! You have it so lucky Prompto, you don't have to deal with this crap. It's either itchiness, or getting stalked by these things." Noct gestured to the hearts surrounding him. "You can imagine how bad it is, that I'm actually dealing with this." 

Prompto laughed, and Noctis had never noticed until now how bright Prompto's smile was. 

"I do not envy you, Noct." 

"Ugh. You're the only sane one I swear! Everybody is always like, 'What's it like to be the prince?' It sucks that's what. Like sure it's got some perks yeah but...I'd rather just be _normal_." Noctis stared at the ground contemplating the mess that was his life. 

Any normal person wouldn't even have to wear the patch to prevent hearts from following him, much less have seven hearts stalking them constantly. Any normal person wouldn't have to worry about their father's life force being sucked out by an ancient crystal, or have to go to council meetings when he was only sixteen, dammit! He didn't want any of this! 

He just wanted to crawl into bed and stay there. 

Sometimes it took everything he had to get out of bed in the morning, and everything Ignis had as well. Ignis was definitely at least half of his rational thoughts _especially_ , early in the morning. 

Lately, his father had been looking more and more exhausted, and Noctis had...been avoiding him, been avoiding everything. He didn't want to face the reality of what was happening. 

Prompto was his escape. 

"You've...always treated me like I was normal, and I just wanted to say...thank you Prompto." 

There was a long silence, before Noctis finally looked up at Prompto to see what was wrong, only to find Prompto blushing beet red. 

Noctis laughed, only Prompto brought out that urge within him, brought out his strongest emotions when normally they were buried, tamped down under an incredible weight. 

"Are you embarrassed?" 

"Oh-uh-Noct-I-I-I'm so sorry!" Prompto finally managed to get out in one huge stuttering mess. 

"What are you apologizing for? I'm happy you treat me like normal, I'm not mad." 

"Oh...okay." Prompto seemed a bit out of it? His eyes were darting back and forth and he was fidgeting way more than normal. 

"Hey man, are you okay?" He asked. 

"Of course!" Prompto replied, but it seemed strained. 

But then the bell rang, and they had to go back to class. As he got up, a heart collided with his face, it was rubbing at it and Noctis could even hear the light cooing. No heart had dared to do this in a while. This one must be new. Noctis sighed heavily. 

"Ugh, people do not get a hint!" He complained, while batting the heart away. "Why can't people understand that I'm just _not interested!"_

"I'm sure they get it, Noct." Prompto said softly. "But you know people can't control their feelings." 

"They love the Prince, not me. Not the real Noctis. Maybe I will start wearing the patch again, it's up to eight hearts now, this is getting ridiculous, I can barely concentrate in class as it is." 

The bell rang again. 

"Shit! And now we're late." Noct grumbled, picking up the pace. "I'm sorry by the way Prom, I didn't mean to take that all out on you." 

"It's okay Noct. That's what friends are for." 

Friends. Something he never thought he'd have, not a real friend anyway. 

He was so happy he didn't push Prompto away. 

~*~ 

 


End file.
